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It’s a brand new-year, and for many people this means an exciting, fresh new start. For others, this period (and the month of January in particular) can be the gloomiest in the year. Whilst we all acknowledge that January only has 31 days, it can feel more like 61 days for some, and the half-way point of what is considered the longest month of the year is “Blue Monday”; the day perceived to have the highest workplace absence rate.
Gone, is the festive joy, the last of the Quality Streets and the promised New Year’s resolutions. All that appears left is the extra pounds (on your thighs and not in your wallet), a liver that could do with your attention and that awful sinking feeling that you need to change things in your life, including your job.
This doesn’t sound like the fresh new start lots of us are looking for with a new year, does it?
The good news is that Blue Monday does not actually exist and is certainly not a scientific fact. It was a marketing stunt dreamt up by a psychologist who goes by the name of Dr Cliff Arnall and started almost 20 years ago. It’s supposed to account for the long stretch until pay day, the worsening weather, dark nights and lapsed new years resolutions. It’s also linked to the “winter blues”, Ior seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which affects around 2 million people in the UK and can affect any age, including children.
The holiday cheer subsides leaving behind a feeling of emptiness for some which we feel the need to fill. Some of us will think the answer is to change our job role, infact, research published from Glassdoor identified that almost 1 in 5 people in the UK will change jobs in January.
As Employers, if we acknowledge that employees might start to feel like this at the start of a new year, what are we doing to address this, and what more can we do? Its important to recognise that not all voluntary turnover is bad, an employee with a bad attitude or one who consistently fails to perform might actually be a welcome relief. Turnover becomes a problem when you cannot hold on to your skilled employees and this negatively impacts the bottom line.
As an Employer, it is crucial to understand what make your employees “tick” and its not always about money. Giving salary increases is not always the answer and can be a very expensive mistake to make.
When was the last time you conducted an Employee engagement survey? This is the ideal platform to gain insight as to what your employees like, what they don’t like, why do they enjoy working for you etc. Most importantly, what have you done with this data?
Encourage employees to share concerns and frustrations. Feeling heard and listened to can significantly impact job satisfaction. Carry out an Engagement Survey, share the results and be honest about the changes that can be made and by when. Keep everyone informed of progress made.
Employees are more likely to stay if they feel valued and can see how their role impacts the overall company goals. Ensure annual reviews are completed and objectives are continuously followed up throughout the year, discuss opportunities and invest in training.
Acknowledge the potential challenges of “Blue Monday” and the post-holiday period. Offer mental health resources, encourage breaks, create a supportive atmosphere and encourage a healthy work life balance by avoiding an excessive workload after the festive period. Be an ambassador and encourage conversations on these.
Small gestures of recognition can boost morale and motivation and a simple thank you can go a long way.
Foster a sense of belonging by strengthening connections in the team. See Blue Monday as an opportunity to do something fun with the team.
Blue Monday may a have a rather gloomy reputation, but hopefully we can use this day as a reminder to prioritise and value our people. If you would like to discuss any aspect of blue Monday, employee engagement, workplace wellbeing or any other HR or people challenges, please contact Michael Black, or your usual AAB People contact.
Proud to support a diverse range of clients
It’s that time of the year again- the time of the year to start calculating holiday pay for your employees. In theory that sounds like the most simple thing, however it can come with complications. Earlier this year we provided an overview for employers on the Updates to Calculating Holiday Pay that centred around the Harpur Trust v Brazel (2019) court ruling. Since then, there’s been further updates that all employers should not only be aware of but should be taking notice of before they make any calculations.
To recap, the Harpur Trust v Brazel case involved a music teacher on a zero hour contract who disputed her employer’s calculation of her holiday pay. Initially, the school calculated her pay based on a fixed percentage of her earnings at the end of each term, which resulted in less holiday pay for her. The employee argued that her pay should be based on an average of her earnings over the previous 12 weeks (from 6 April 2020 this reference period was increased to 52 weeks), which would have resulted in a higher amount of holiday pay.
The case was initially dismissed by the Employment Tribunal but was later reviewed by higher courts, including the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of the employee. The courts concluded that part-time workers and those on zero-hour or casual contracts should receive a full 5.6 weeks of annual leave, calculated based on a 52-week average of earnings.
This ruling caused concerns among employers, as it increased costs and impacted flexible working arrangements. The government then added this topic to a review they were completing to assess the ruling and determine if it should be overturned or made permanent legislation, taking into account the impact on employers and ensuring fair annual leave entitlement for all workers.
The long-awaited outcome was issued by Department for Business and Trade on 8th November 2023. The highlights of the outcome in relation to concerns around the Harpur Trust v Brazel case were:
It would be remiss of us to provide an update on calculating holiday play, and to predict any changes which may come, without providing a roundup of the basic details every employer must adhere to when calculating holiday pay.
Further to the update to legislation in April 2020, employers must also ensure that if there employees receive “variable pay”, they complete a 52-week look back to confirm what the employee’s average weekly earnings would be. This pay should include any overtime, commission, bonuses or other regular payments. If an employee has not been with their employer for the full 52 weeks, you should asses from the start of their employment. It is important employers to keep an up-to-date reflection of the average weekly pay to ensure employees are pay correctly when they do take annual leave. If you are unsure of how to calculate an employees pay if their hours fluctuate frequently or are not sure if a payment would be considered as a regular payment, please seek out professional advice.
Calculating holiday pay should be relatively straight forward. However, tribunal cases such as Harpur Trust v Brazel, changes to employment case law and changing work patterns continue to give employers additional factors to consider.
It is unclear at this point when the government will formally make the aforementioned changes to legislation or introduce new legislation following recommendations as appropriate. This will likely take time to be implemented, if the changes are likely to take place prior to the next general election should be confirmed in coming months. Employers should stay up to date with developments in this area and seek legal advice to ensure compliance with any changes to the law.
If you have any queries on calculating holiday pay, please do not hesitate to get in contact with Georgia Wilson, or one of our HR & Employment Law Specialists.
After a year of change and upheaval for organisations across the UK and Ireland we are expecting at least nine employment law changes in 2024. These changes are likely to change the employment landscape for employers and employees alike. Political and economic factors have caused unexpected challenges and have even delayed some legislative changes we originally had expected back in 2023.
It’s so important to make yourself aware of the upcoming changes as early as possible. The year is already shaping up to be eventful. These changes are wide reaching and cover a diverse range of areas across Employment Law. The impact for employees is likely the largest we will have seen for a while. So, what changes are coming?
Significant increases will come into effect from the start of the new financial year, and the highest pay bracket has been expanded to included 21 year olds and over for the first time, pushing more over the threshold of auto-enrolment into a company pension. This will increase wages to support with the cost of living, but cause additional costs for employers who will need to consider this impact moving forward.
Rolled up holiday pay will once again be permitted for those who work irregular hours, but only for those with a holiday year starting after 01 April 2024. The same goes for calculating pay which will be permitted with the introduction of new legislation allowing holiday pay to be calculated at the hourly rate of 12.07%, overruling recent case law.
From April 2024, those seeking to take paternity leave will be permitted to split their two week entitlement into two non-consecutive periods, and the time where this leave can be taken will be extended to within 52 weeks of the birth of their child or placement for adoption.
At present there is no absolute right to take time off as a carer, but this new legislation will provide employees with the ability to take one week of unpaid leave each year to support their caring responsibilities for a reasonable person.
Flexible working rights are to be expanded, evidencing further that flexibility will continue to be the expected norm in the world of work. Firstly length of service eligibility will be removed, with requests being permitted from day one. In addition the amount of time employers have to respond to any request will be reduced from three months to two months. Finally, multiple request will be accepted as the right to refuse more than one request per annum will be removed.
Enabling those with irregular hours to request a more stable and predictable pattern of work, this new statutory right will be open to those with 26 weeks’ service. Although the request may be refused for certain reasons to be outlined in the legislation, the general understanding is that a code of practice will govern what is acceptable and employers should be working with employees to provide better working patterns wherever possible.
With an effective date yet to be confirmed, it is worth noting that pregnant employees will soon receive further protection to prevent their dismissal in redundancy situations. This means considering them above other employees and is effective from when they tell you about a pregnancy all the way up until 18 months following the birth of their child – so well into their return to work from maternity leave. Please note, this legislative change will also be applicable to employees coming back into the workplace following maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.
New rules will require all employers to take reasonable and proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace. Policies and training will need to be sufficiently maintained, along with firm procedures to deal with issues and robust mechanism available for concerns to be raised. Failures may result in tribunal award uplifts of 25% to any awards if reasonable preventative measures are not taken.
Slightly further ahead than 2024, but worth considering now. The new addition to family friendly entitlements will see those with babies admitted to neonatal care receiving up to 12 weeks of paid leave to provide some level of support in challenging circumstances.
In addition to all the above, it is also worth noting that although the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 was quashed at a parliamentary stage this year, the government do still have the option to continue reviewing and reforming EU law as needed. We will need to continue to watch this space for further developments and potential implications as and when they arise.
Some timelines are yet to be confirmed, however we will provide you with updates as soon as any become available/ if any timelines are expected to change to ensure you can stay ahead of the curve.
Ensuring your organisation is UK Employment Law compliant is so important. With the changing nature of these legislative changes it can be so difficult to ensure compliance. That’s where we come in- our dedicated HR & Employment Law specialists are on hand to provide you with support to keep you complaint.
If you have any queries about the upcoming changes or any queries about Employment law as a whole, please do not hesitate to get in contact with James Richardson, or one of our HR & Employment Law Specialists.
AAB People are accredited by the Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH) to deliver their market-leading Managing Safely course. The IOSH Managing safely course enables managers to:
Our next IOSH Managing Safely Training course will commence on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at our Glasgow office on Finnieston Street. This course will run for 3 days over 3 consecutive weeks; 8th, 15th, and 22nd May 2024 (9:30am-4pm). The course costs £350 per delegate.
Upon completion of the course, you will be awarded your IOSH certificate, proving that you are certified to carry out Health & Safety responsibilities and training in the workplace.
Managing Safely is designed for managers and supervisors in any sector, and any organisation worldwide. They won’t suddenly become safety experts – but they’ll get up-to-speed on the practical actions they need to take, and gain the knowledge and tools to tackle the safety and health issues they’re responsible for. Importantly, Managing Safely makes a powerful case for safety and health being an integral part of day-to-day management and business.
Successful delegates are awarded an IOSH Managing Safely certificate.
We offer IOSH training either in our Finnieston office in Glasgow or online. If you choose to partake online, you can participate from anywhere in the UK.
Celtic Renewables, a rapidly expanding cleantech company headquartered in Edinburgh, is at the forefront of sustainable innovation. The company’s technology converts low-value by-products, residues and wastes into high-value green chemicals, and other commercial and environmentally valuable commodities. Following the construction of their state-of-the-art commercial processing plant in Grangemouth, the company is focussed on expanding into new markets on a global basis. As they embarked on a journey of strategic growth, they recognised the need to strengthen their HR function and conduct a substantial recruitment drive. Celtic Renewables turned to AAB People, a trusted HR outsourcing partner, for their expertise in facilitating this transformation highlighting the invaluable role played by Aoife from the HR team at AAB People.
Celtic Renewables was at a pivotal stage in its growth, and they needed to strengthen their HR capability and scale their workforce significantly. This task came with a host of challenges, including the need for structured HR processes, competitive compensation schemes, and the recruitment of 15 critical roles. Jim Purves, Head of Corporate Operations at Celtic Renewables, recognised the need for an external strategic partner to fill a critical gap in internal resource and expertise; and help navigate these challenges.
Aoife, a highly knowledgeable HR professional from AAB People, joined forces with Celtic Renewables to lead this transformative journey. Her multifaceted role included:
1. Creating Rewards and Recognition Schemes: Aoife collaborated with Celtic Renewables to establish reward and recognition programmes that would motivate and retain top talent while aligning with the company’s sustainability goals.
2. Salary Benchmarking: To remain competitive in the job market, Aoife conducted comprehensive salary benchmarking analysis, ensuring that Celtic Renewables’ compensation packages were attractive to potential hires and competitive to retain existing talent.
3.Performance and Development Process: Aoife supported the implementation of a robust performance and development process, encouraging employee growth, career progression and company wide effort towards achieving Celtic Renewables strategic goals. In doing so, Aoife collaborated closely with the CEO and senior managers, to facilitate the setting of clear, measurable, and achievable goals and SMART objectives aligned with the company’s strategic objectives.
4.Contracts and Documentation: Streamlining HR processes, Aoife ensured that employment contracts and documentation met legal requirements and aligned with Celtic Renewables’ values.
5. Recruitment: The most important aspect of this contract was recruitment. Aoife with support from her colleagues played a critical role in sourcing, interviewing, and hiring 15 professionals, including a Head of People, lab technicians, and engineers.
6. Onsite presence: Aoife worked onsite with Celtic Renewables, building strong relationships with line managers and employees working closely with the team to overcome challenges as they arose.
‘’Our partnership with AAB People, and specifically with Aoife, has been transformative. As we embarked on a journey of strategic growth, Aoife’s expertise and dedication were instrumental in establishing robust HR processes and recruiting a motivated team of professionals. Her commitment to aligning our HR initiatives with our company’s sustainability mission was impressive. With her support, we’re now in a strong position to grow sustainably and make a lasting impact in the cleantech industry.” Jim Purves, Head of Corporate Operations, Celtic Renewables
‘’Our partnership with AAB People, and specifically with Aoife, has been transformative. As we embarked on a journey of strategic growth, Aoife’s expertise and dedication were instrumental in establishing robust HR processes and recruiting a motivated team of professionals. Her commitment to aligning our HR initiatives with our company’s sustainability mission was impressive. With her support, we’re now in a strong position to grow sustainably and make a lasting impact in the cleantech industry.”
Jim Purves, Head of Corporate Operations, Celtic Renewables
Celtic Renewables’ collaboration with AAB People, guided by Aoife’s exceptional HR leadership, exemplifies how strategic HR outsourcing can empower a company’s growth. This partnership not only addressed immediate HR needs but also set the foundation for long-term success, ensuring that Celtic Renewables remains at the forefront of sustainable innovation for years to come.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Celtic Renewables. It has been so great to be able to add value to a Company with an incredibly talented and innovative team, and working on such an important cause that will have huge impact on the UK’s sustainability goals and the cleantech industry. I am excited to see where the Company will go and have no doubt that they will be incredibly successful.” Aoife Travers, HR Consultant at AAB People
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Celtic Renewables. It has been so great to be able to add value to a Company with an incredibly talented and innovative team, and working on such an important cause that will have huge impact on the UK’s sustainability goals and the cleantech industry. I am excited to see where the Company will go and have no doubt that they will be incredibly successful.”
Aoife Travers, HR Consultant at AAB People
We know that employers are facing more challenges than ever before when running their business. From the risk of losing staff, the worry of how best to be a supportive employer to the uncertainty of using AI in your business when it is such an unknown but powerful tool.
In this webinar our team covered some of the most topical HR matters facing employers right now, based on our conversations with clients and from what we see in businesses we deal with day to day. We included a varied range of topics detailed further below and provide pragmatic advice to business owners, manager and HR professionals on how to effectively deal with the issues we believe they are facing.
Founded in 2011, Soiltech is a Norwegian cleantech service provider specialising in the treatment, recycling and responsible handling of contaminated water and solid industrial waste streams. With a clear purpose to provide clean technologies for a greener future, Soiltech designs, builds, owns and operates its treatment technologies, providing services in close cooperation with the customer on their sites.
Soiltech has 100+ employees working with several clients world-wide, with headquarters in Norway and a strong presence in the UK and the Middle East.
Unusually for most AAB People clients, Soiltech already has an HR manager in place (based at HQ in Norway). But with no presence in the UK, they sought HR expertise in 2022 for UK-specific recruitment and employment. They turned to the AAB People team to set up a new UK entity and identify, locate and recruit UK-based North Sea offshore field personnel, including operators and supervisors. Ever since the collaboration began and now 9 recruits later, AAB People continues to act on a retained basis as the UK recruitment and pre-onboarding arm for UK-based employees. An ongoing responsibility is to create appropriate salary and benefit packages for Norwegian recruits aiming to work in UK and other overseas territories, but who remain employed by a Norway-based company.
This HR collaboration is a unique set-up in that the onboarding process, the ongoing management of employment issues, the performance management and professional development is led by the Norwegian HQ once AAB People has created the UK-compliant systems needed for UK-based employees. Once new recruits are hired, they go on to report to their Norwegian line manager.
Before recruiting could begin, AAB People created a UK arm for Soiltech, registered in Aberdeen. A complete HR infrastructure for Soiltech UK was introduced, putting in place employment contracts, an employee handbook compliant with UK legislation, a payroll process (managed by our dedicated AAB Payroll arm) and several other HR tools to benchmark salaries, make salary recommendations and create bespoke, competitive benefits packages.
In the first few months, AAB People sought and recruited seven engineers for Soiltech UK. This involved creating job descriptions, identifying strong candidates, screening, shortlisting (and sometimes helping to interview) them and creating onboarding documentation once they were hired. In 2023 more engineers were and still are being recruited, and AAB People has helped to create a performance management structure that works for UK employees.
AAB payroll in particular are closely involved with the practical management of UK personnel’s day-to-day financial needs, including the support and upload of all travelling expenses and changes and additions to contract relating to benefits.
With deep knowledge, experience and expertise in the entire HR lifecycle, AAB People acts as an always-there sounding board for Soiltech. Whether it’s about attracting and hiring new team members, developing their careers, managing their performance or managing their salary and benefits, it’s key to the relationship to have fresh perspectives and a reliable steer on the best course of action.
Soiltech’s VP of People and Organisation, Bente Skogen, echoes this last point:
“We have only a small HR team in Norway, and AAB are like an extension of our team. We see them as our colleagues and it’s an, friendly co-operation. I find the team very knowledgeable – they’re professional HR people and great discussion partners. I value their time and the way they’re into the details. If I have a question or an issue that needs help, they always respond quickly.”
“Michael has worked in Norway before, so he understands the nuances and country differences around workplace and employment, which means they can communicate appropriately with Norwegians planning to work in the UK. This is important, because remuneration and employment trends are quite different here, and you can’t compare UK and Norway without understanding why. AAB have helped us create competitive solutions that appeal to Norwegians working abroad.“
“It’s very important to us to have their immediate expertise on UK law, compliance issues and regulatory frameworks. We need to know that we have the correct pension schemes and insurance policies, for example. It saves me a lot of time to have that knowledge on hand and it means expertise on laws and regulations are compliant”
“The AAB People team is always there and they follow up well. I feel as if we are their only client even though they have several others. We recently gave just one week’s notice of a recruitment trip to UK and they arranged everything quickly and easily. We use their meeting rooms for interviews and are always warmly welcomed not just by HR but by payroll, finance and other departments too.”
“it’s also important to mention that this co-operation helps us live by our Vision, which is about delivering quality, acting with integrity and taking responsibility. We need their UK expertise to live this fully.”
SMEs.
Understanding our clients’ businesses and how they go about it, then working together to make sure that the structures are in place to protect their most valuable asset: people.
Across all sectors.
Mark Girvan is a Senior Health & Safety Consultant based in our Glasgow office. Mark manages a portfolio of AAB People’s Health and Safety clients, assisting them to go beyond compliance and strive for excellence. In his role, he is also involved in assisting in the development of our Health and Safety service.
“An ideal relationship with a client is based on mutual respect and trust. We need clients to feel comfortable letting us peer into the dark corners so that we can shine a light into the shadows.
I strive to provide honest and transparent advice and support to our clients. I also try not to bamboozle them with regulatory numbers and paragraphs but to take a common sense approach and work with them to find practical solutions. Alongside this, whatever I do I always try to do it with humility and a sense of humour.”
“I love that in my line of work, there are endless learning opportunities. I enjoy collaborating with my colleagues and feel very fortunate that I have great colleagues from whom I can learn every day. Likewise, our clients are the subject matter experts in what they and their people do, and I love getting to learn from their determination to build and maintain a thriving business and passion for protecting their employees.”
“Some of the biggest challenges in safety happen during a financial downturn, where streamlining budgets and saving on safety might sometimes be seen as quick fixes. What’s not always appreciated is the hidden cost of failing to maintain a safe workplace and invest in training, equipment, and maintenance. Any search engine search for “safety iceberg” will highlight the dangers of sacrificing safety and neglecting worker health and wellbeing. At AAB People, we firmly believe that investment in safety is an investment in business longevity, and that’s why we’re passionate about assisting clients to understand their priorities without breaking the bank or falling foul of the law.”
“As safety professionals, we need to continue to evolve and seek new opportunities for growth and development to assist us in assisting our clients. It’s essential that we fully understand new and emergent hazards and risks to keep our clients right. Working for a company that values and commits to continuing professional and personal development and views it not only desirable but essential demonstrates that nothing is indeed more important than our people.
Similarly, when working with clients we want to ensure that businesses understand not only the safety requirements but also the benefits of providing training and instruction to their workforce and value it as an investment in their future.”
“The thing that excites me most about the future is how we continue to see the Health & Safety service grow and become a leading provider in the market.”
SMEs. Start-ups.
Supporting clients with their recruitment and onboarding, monitoring client mailboxes, assisting with any administration documentation needed, collating salary benchmarks and carrying out all pre employment checks.
Energy. Manufacturing.
As a HR advisor, Robyn provides general HR related support through HR mailboxes, helping with end-to-end recruitment and onboarding for clients. She is also involved in the management of the offboarding for employees and administration support along with advisory work. She works with a variety of businesses in a broad range of sectors.
‘’ An ideal relationship with a client is ensuring that there is a level of trust. Ensuring a good form of communication is built in order to create a good relationship. Clients expect honest and realistic HR support. We like to think of ourselves as an aspect of their team when working with them. We try to be as engaged as possible and show honest support and guidance.’’
‘’The most satisfying aspect of working with clients is watching them grow and succeed over the time we have spent working with them. It is inspiring to watch the growth and development of our clients. I would say we are assertive in our approach, especially when giving HR advice and support. We are here to support growth and help our clients to achieve their objectives.’’
‘’One of the greatest challenges I experience in my career is providing support to clients in who are unfamiliar or new to me. Therefore, getting to know their business from the ground up is so important. I always ensure that I have a detailed understanding of their processes and procedures which allows me to establish what is truly important to them. I try to take an honest approach and ensure that communication is clear throughout the process.’’
‘’One pet hate I have discovered after starting my HR career is the perception of HR being strict and unreasonable. This is completely not the case – we always strive to ensure all clients and employees feel valued and that they are being looked after in the workplace. We work closely with our clients to help with meet and exceed their goals.’’
"The aspect that excites me the most about my future is the growth and development of offer at AAB People. As I am starting out my HR career, I am excited to see where this role takes me. The aspect that excites me the
most about AAB People is the expansion of the company. We are able to utilise various departments and work together to create an all-round package for our clients, whether that be payroll, or HR support or both."
When possible disciplinary or grievance issues occur in the workplace, employers have a responsibility to find out all they reasonably can about the situation to ensure matters are resolved fairly and effectively. To do this, they should conduct a workplace investigation as soon as possible after the issue is raised.
A workplace investigation is an objective, independent, and systematic process of uncovering facts about a particular incident that occurred at work. It involves carefully discussing a complaint or grievance for specific misconduct, policy violation, or unethical behaviour to reach a final decision and determine the appropriate course of action.
A thorough investigation will allow employers to decide whether there is a case to answer and whether a formal process should be followed.
During the investigation process, employers should gather as much evidence as reasonably possible from all sides to understand what has occurred and to help determine next steps. It is essential that everyone involved in the process is treated fairly at all times.
If conducted properly, investigations can help to protect the interests of the organisation by identifying wrongdoings and to support the employer with fair, objective and informed decision-making. An investigation may uncover extenuating circumstances which mitigate or justify the allegations that were made, meaning that formal action is not required. Instead, the employer may decide it is more appropriate to deal with the matter informally instead.
If a reasonable and fair investigation is not carried out, any decisions an employer makes in relation to the allegations may be unfair which could risk legal action.
While an investigation should be completed as quickly as possible, it is important that the investigation is thorough and fair. Therefore, some investigations might take longer depending on the case and how many people need to give information.
A comprehensive and fair investigation will protect all parties as employees should feel they have been treated fairly and have had the opportunity to explain things from their point of view. In addition, employers will be confident in the fact that they have made an informed decision.
Whether formal or informal action is required following an investigation, we are here to help. If you would like support for effectively managing workplace investigations and following a fair procedure, please do not hesitate to get in contact with or your usual AAB People contact.
